Rain and embedded thunderstorms spread over a large part of the CWA during the night of the 9th into the morning of the 10th. The rain fall in many of the same areas that had received heavy rainfall just a few days before.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.
Rain and embedded thunderstorms spread over a large part of the CWA during the night of the 9th into the morning of the 10th. The rain fall in many of the same areas that had received heavy rainfall just a few days before. In addition, the ground was saturated and partially frozen yet. Rainfall of one half to one and one half inches caused flooding as nearly all of the rainfall ran off. Flash flooding was reported in Ames along the Squaw Creek, though it was minor. Much of the flooding was relatively minor as the rainfall did not occur over a short period of time, but rather over several hours.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 9, 6:21 AM CST, 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 721 AM CDT MON MAR 9 2009 .SHORT TERM...TODAY TDA WILL BE A DAY OF IN BTWN SYS AS WK HI PRES MOVS E OF THE AREA. TRAPPED ST DECK WILL BE HARD TO GET RID OF...BUT XPCT TO SEE A LTL BREAKUP DURG THE DAY. DROPPED MAX TEMPS FM PREV FCST DUE TO LESS INSOLATION. FOR TDA...NEXT CONCERN WILL BE THE PCPN WITH THE WAA SETTING IN THIS AFTN. FEEL GFS IS TOO FAST WITH ONSET OF PCPN...BUT DID OUT IN ISOLD -SHRA IN THE AFTN OVR THE S. RAPID INC IN PCPN LKLY BY LATE IN THE AFTN AND HAVE GONE WITH CAT POPS XTRM S CNTRL AND LKLY ACRS THE SRN COUPLE OF TIERS OF COUNTIES...THEN A BUFFER OF CHC TO THE N. FEEL THUNDER WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL AFT 22Z AS WELL. .LONG TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY THE INITIAL CONCERN WILL BE CONTINUED FLOODING POTENTIAL OVER THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. SHORT RANGE MODELS ARE STILL IN AGREEMENT IN TRACKING A VIGOROUS SHORT WAVE TROUGH AND INVERTED SFC TROUGH INTO THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A 40-50KT LLJ WILL PUSH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ABOVE 1 INCH AND SET THE STAGE FOR MORE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS AREAS THAT WERE HIT HARD YESTERDAY. WILL GO WITH FLASH FLOOD WATCH STARTING AT 00Z THIS EVENING...SEE BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL HYDRO DISCUSSION. THERE MAY BE A FEW ELEVATED STORMS OF INTEREST IN THE FAR SOUTH OVERNIGHT...WITH HAIL APPROACHING SEVERE LIMITS...BUT MORE FAVORABLE MU CAPE SHOULD STAY JUST TO THE SOUTH. ON TUESDAY PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION FROM A WINTRY MIX TO ALL SNOW BY LATE AFTERNOON OVER NORTHWEST PORTIONS. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO A COUPLE OF INCHES...AT BEST...BEFORE FORCING EXITS TO THE NORTHEAST DURING THE EVENING. A STRONG WNW WIND WILL INCREASE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND WILL PRODUCE SOME BLOWING SNOW ACROSS THE NORTH. PRESSURE GRADIENT MAGNITUDE PROGS AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUPPORT SUSTAINED WINDS AT LEAST 30 MPH WITH GUSTS WELL INTO THE 40S. THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALL RAIN THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY...BUT IT NOW APPEARS THE SEVERE THREAT WILL STAY TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST. IN THE LATER PERIODS...DRY FORECAST STILL LOOKS REASONABLE WITH UPPER RIDGING AND WARMING TEMPS. && .HYDROLOGY... NUMEROUS RIVERS ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 30 REMAIN UNDER FLOOD WARNINGS IN RESPONSE TO HEAVY RAIN THAT FELL OVER THE PAST 48 HOURS. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE MORE HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT. GENERAL 1 TO 1.5 INCH AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CWA...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 2.5 INCHES NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS IN THE SOUTHEAST STILL HAVE ELEVATED WATER LEVELS FROM SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS THAT ARE IMPACTING ROADS. WITH THE ALREADY SATURATED CONDITIONS...MORE HEAVY RAIN COULD PRODUCE SHORT TERM FLASH FLOODING TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN WILL DIMINISH TUESDAY MORNING...BUT FLOODING WILL LIKELY LINGER THROUGH THE DAY...WELL AFTER THE HEAVY RAIN ENDS. RIVERS IN THE SOUTHEAST...INCLUDING THE DES MOINES...SKUNK...AND CHARITON RIVER BASINS WILL LIKELY SEE RENEWED RISES OR HIGHER CRESTS. && .AVIATION...09/12Z LARGE AREA OF ST CONT TO HOLD FAST OVR IA WITH BASES BLO 010 IN MOST LOCATIONS. PIREPS INDICATE LYR IS ON THE ORDER OF 1000 TO 1500 FEET THICK. AREA IS GRADUALLY BEING PUSHED TO THE NW ON BACK SIDE OF RETREATING HI PRES. WILL BE A SLOW PROCESS TO GET RID OF IT. EXPECT SOME BRK UP DURG THE DAY...BUT WITH HI CLOUDS ALREADY STREAMING OVR THE TOP...WONT COMPLETELY GET RID OF IT. NEXT WX SYS WILL BRING RA AND SOME TSRA TO SRN IA BY LATE THIS AFTN...AND IN THE KALO-KOTM-KDSM AREA THRU THE NGT. CONDS WILL DTRT THRU THE NGT WITH LIFR CONDS EXPECTED OVR MUCH OF THE STATE. NOTE...AMENDMENTS ARE NOT SCHEDULED FOR KFOD AND KOTM TODAY DUE TO ERRONEOUS CEILOMETERS. THE CEILOMETER IS OUT AT KFOD AND IS REPORTING ERRONEOUS READINGS AT KOTM. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR APPANOOSE-DAVIS-DECATUR-LUCAS- MAHASKA-MARION-MONROE-POWESHIEK-WAPELLO-WAYNE.. && SHORT TERM...MS MAR 09 LONG TERM...KINNEY AVIATION...MS MAR 09
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 539 AM CDT MON MAR 9 2009 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>025-033>035-044-045-101100- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-CRAWFORD-CARROLL- 539 AM CDT MON MAR 9 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN IOWA...ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM CARROLL...TO FORT DODGE AND MASON CITY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A LIGHT WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TUESDAY...BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO ALL SNOW BY TUESDAY EVENING. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE TWO INCHES OR LESS. VERY STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS ARE FORECAST FOR LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. SUSTAINED WINDS OVER 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. EXPECT AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. IAZ026>028-036>039-046>050-057>061-070>073-081>083-092-093-101100- FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-GREENE- BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-CASS- ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD- 539 AM CDT MON MAR 9 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BUT NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY. VERY STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST ARE FORECAST FOR LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. SUSTAINED WINDS OVER 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. IAZ062-074-075-084>086-094>097-101100- POWESHIEK-MARION-MAHASKA-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-DECATUR-WAYNE- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 539 AM CDT MON MAR 9 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM WITH PENNY SIZE HAIL IS POSSIBLE. EXPECT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. MOST LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE AT LEAST AN INCH OF RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 2.5 INCHES POSSIBLE. FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES. RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE THE HEAVY RAIN DIMINISHES. SCATTERED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE DAY ON TUESDAY. VERY STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST ARE FORECAST FOR LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. SUSTAINED WINDS OVER 30 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ON AN ISOLATED BASIS TONIGHT. REPORTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING ARE ENCOURAGED. KINNEY
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Minor flooding was reported on the Skunk River and Squaw Creek. Closure of 190th Street took place at Squaw Creek.
Highway 92 was reduced to one lane of traffic with water encroaching onto the road from the Muchakinock Creek.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, March 2009
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 150251, 150252.